First published 2015
Hector, a young Zapotec, pays unscrupulous coyotes to smuggle him across the border to the US. Sealed in the empty tank of a water truck with other migrants, the vehicle breaks down in the desert. The coyotes take the passengers' money and vanish, leaving Hector and his friend César to die. With dwindling hope, Hector reaches out to the one American contact in César's phone, desperate to pass along a crucial message before it's too late. As legends of the jaguar and ancient Zapotec traditions intertwine with their dire circumstances, Hector must find the courage to survive and deliver César's final warning.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, adventure, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, suspenseful
Tropes: desperate-situation, fish-out-of-water
Setting: Arizona, Mexico
Period: 21st-century
288 pages · Hardcover · Knopf Canada
Content warnings: death, violence